Male survivors of sexual abuse and assault: their experiences

Department of Justice Canada, Research and Statistics Division,2013, pp 1-29

Date

2013

Document type

Research report

Summary

For this study, researchers conducted interviews with 59 male survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) and adult sexual assault (ASA). Fifty-seven participants reported that they had been sexually abused as a child and 51 of these reported multiple incidents of CSA. Ten participants reported they had been sexually assaulted as an adult. A number of emotional and psychological effects of the abuse were identified, including depression, isolation, and self-harm. The researchers explored the coping strategies of the survivors and identified positive strategies such as counselling and sports and negative coping strategies that included disassociation, substance abuse and sexually promiscuous behaviour. The research also considered the survivors' experience with the criminal justice system, exploring reasons for reporting and not reporting to police and their experiences with police and judicial officers. A number of suggestions were made by the survivors for improved understanding and support.